Leadership changes announced at Disney parks

Meg Crofton, George Kalogridis, Michael Colglazier change roles

UPDATED 4:32 PM EST Jan 09, 2013

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -

Leadership changes were announced at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Wednesday.

Meg Crofton will fully assume her role role as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations in the United States and France -- Crofton has been in that role since July 2011 while also serving as president of Walt Disney World.

The new president of Walt Disney World Resort will be George A. Kalogridis, who has 40 years of experience at Disney parks, most recently as the president of Disneyland Resort, the company said.

Michael Colglazier has been named the new president of the Disneyland Resort. He was formerly the head of Disney's Animal Kingdom and was "instrumental in the planning and development of an Avatar-themed land," according to a news release.